Find out what a study says about the best cardio intensity level for Parkinson’s patients.
Will those with Parkinson’s disease benefit more from low intensity cardio exercise or higher?
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Baltimore VA Medical Center wanted to find out what would be a preferable exercise for those with this neurological disorder.
Study Results
The low intensity group experienced the greatest degree of consistent improvement in gait and mobility.
For the study, subjects with Parkinson’s disease walked on a treadmill and also did resistance and stretching exercise.
There were three groups:
1) 50-minute treadmill walk for low intensity, 2) 30-minute incline walk for high intensity, 3) resistance exercise for the legs.
All Parkinson’s groups exercised for three months, three times a week.
“These results show that exercise in people with Parkinson’s disease can make a difference in their function,” explains Lisa Shulman, MD, the lead study author, professor of neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
In the report she adds, “Exercise may, in fact, delay disability and help to preserve independence.”
People with Parkinson’s should strongly consider low intensity cardio workouts.
Walking on a Treadmill for Parkinson’s Disease
Based on this study, it appears that treadmill walking will produce the greatest benefits for ambulation, when compared to using other kinds of cardio equipment.
After all, to get from point A to point B, we usually walk rather than pedal or step upward.
Walking is the most natural form of human movement, so the treadmill is the obvious choice for improving ambulation.
As far as cardiovascular benefits, any cardio equipment will suffice.
Getting Started on a Treadmill
Those with Parkinson’s disease should begin slowly on the treadmill and work on avoiding the habit of continuous holding on, as this will reproduce a gait pattern similar to that of using a walker. The image below demonstrates this.
Continuous holding on can also lead to repetitive stress injuries in the hips, plus “mold” posture into an incorrect form.
As your balance improves, gradually increase speed.
Again, the key is starting out at a slow-enough speed rather than a speed that makes you feel too off-balance to let go.
When I was a personal trainer, I noted that whenever someone told me they feared falling off a treadmill unless they held on, they had the speed at least 3.5 mph and often had a high incline.
If you must start out at only 1.5 mph, or even just one mph, at zero incline, then do so.
Then from there, gradually increase your speed over time, but never too much that you feel that you’ll lose your balance.
Holding on momentarily for balance checks is encouraged, but again, do not get into the habit of CONTINUOUSLY holding on — and this assumes that you can already walk in day-to-day living without a walker or cane.
